Why Authors Should Blog

While watching the presidential conventions I was struck by the fact that blogs had totally revolutionized the publishing industry. Sitting right alongside the major news agencies were the bloggers frantically typing on their laptops. Even seasoned veterans who had covered past conventions mentioned the power of this new media.

Due to the dynamic nature of blogs, the bloggers with their laptops could report in real time, thus getting their stories online long before the morning newspapers would hit the streets. Commentators even mentioned that many of the breaking news stories had been reported first by bloggers.

Think about this for a minute. Gutenberg revolutionized the publishing industry by letting writers mass produce their work.

The next phase of growth was the Internet. Finally anyone could publish their work and have it sent around the globe in seconds. When the digital publishing revolution hit, it seemed too good to be true.

With the digital revolution anyone and everyone could now spread their message. Writers could bypass the traditional publishing industry and save time in getting their work to the public.

They no longer had to fear that dreaded rejection slip. They could succeed or fail on their own merit. No one had control over how or what he or she could write.

The Internet was a writer’s paradise.

It seemed as good as it could get.

Well, we hadn’t seen anything. Web logs, or blogs as they are called, have propelled publishing to the next level.

Not only could writers publish in real time, they could have it online instantly.

As powerful as that may be, the real power lies in the ability to syndicate your writing by plugging your content into an RSS feed.

Imagine the possibilities. You can now become a part of a targeted network of like-minded blogs and have your content spread through the entire network in the twinkling of an eye.

You’ve got the ability to tap into the ultimate in viral marketing and branding. You can build an audience overnight.